Show the seven sleepers seven noble youths of 0 ephesus who according to tin an early christian legend fir arst at related by gregory of tours fled from the city during a persecution under the emperor dealus A D I 1 and took refuge in a cave on bount cellon there they were discovered by their pursuers pur who walled P the entrance in order to starve then them to death but owing to a re anaro able interposition in theu their behalf they were caused to fail all into a deep sleep and were thus miraculously preserved for nearly two hundred years they died soon after awakening and their bodies were transferred to marseilles se illes arun france ce in a ston sarcophagus which la Is still shown to visitors to the church of st victor in that city according to gregory the names of the seven sleepers were consta constantine Constant D tine lne john Maxi maximelan malchus Mar martinian or marclan and serapion Sera Ser plou aplon A festival in their honor to Is celebrated in the roman catholic church july 27 the legend of the seven sleepers la Is widely current in the east it Is of syrian origin and mccu occurs in the koran |